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Spaghetti alle vongole is a coastal Italian classic: fresh clams opened in olive oil with garlic, chilli and a splash of white wine, tossed with spaghetti and parsley until the juices turn into a light, briny sauce. It is simple, salty and fragrant, and it needs a white with the same Mediterranean character.
Why Vermentino di Gallura
Vermentino is grown across the western Mediterranean, but it reaches its peak in Gallura, in Sardinia’s granite-rich north-east, home to the island’s only DOCG. The wines combine citrus, white flowers and herbs with a saline, mineral finish and a pleasant bitter-almond edge.
That salinity matches the clam juices. The acidity cuts the olive oil. The herbal notes flatter garlic and parsley. And the slight bitterness on the finish works with the gentle heat of the chilli.
At the Table
Cook the clams in a little of the same wine. Serve the Vermentino at 9 to 10°C (48 to 50°F). No cheese on this pasta: the sea supplies the salt.
The Bottles
Jankara Vermentino di Gallura Superiore 2025
A Superiore from Gallura’s granite slopes: fresh, saline and textured, exactly the profile the dish wants. Shop it at Wine.com.
More Vermentino di Gallura at Wine.com
For a wider selection of Sardinian Vermentino, browse the appellation. Shop it at Wine.com.
One Rule
Scrub the clams well and discard any that do not open.
The Pairing is Santé’s daily column on one dish and the wine that makes it better. A new pairing every evening.
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